Final Year List

What a year it's been! Some crazy highlights including a few lifers, a fair amount of rarities and some welcome favourites.

Didn't get a lot of chances to head out towards the end of the year inbetween work, covid and moving house and there's a few annoying gaps to fill, and so close to 150 birds! Gonna set a cheeky target of 175 for 2021 and see what happens

*Starred species designate uncertainty, or probable escapees and aren't included in the final totals.  

Birds in bold indicate lifer sightings.

Birds

Magpie 

Jay

Jackdaw

Rook

Carrion Crow

Raven

Woodpigeon

Feral Dove

Stock Dove

Collared Dove

Turtle Dove

Greenfinch

Goldfinch

Chaffinch

Linnet

Bullfinch

Twite

Brambling

Siskin

Lesser Redpoll

Yellowhammer

Reed Bunting

Corn Bunting

House Sparrow

Mistle Thrush

Song Thrush

Blackbird

Redwing

Fieldfare

Nightingale

Robin

Black Redstart

Stonechat

Whinchat

Wheatear

Starling

Pied Wagtail

Yellow Wagtail

Grey Wagtail

Goldcrest

Blue Tit

Great Tit

Long Tailed Tit

Coal Tit

Marsh Tit

Bearded Tit

Wren

Dunnock

Chiffchaff

Willow Warbler

Blackcap

Common Whitethroat

Lesser Whitethroat

Sedge Warbler

Reed Warbler

Cetti's Warbler

Meadow Pipit

Skylark

Treecreeper

Green Woodpecker

Great Spotted Woodpecker

Woodcock

Common Pheasant

Red Legged Partridge

Grey Partridge

Ring Necked Parakeet

Cuckoo

Common Swift

House Martin

Barn Swallow

Black Headed Gull

Common Gull

Mediterranean Gull

Lesser Black Backed Gull

Greater Black Backed Gull

Herring Gull

Yellow Legged Gull

Little Gull

Common Tern

Black Tern

Gannet

Little Egret

Cattle Egret

Grey Heron

Eurasian Spoonbill

Coot

Moorhen

Water Rail

Little Grebe

Great Crested Grebe

Cormorant

Kingfisher

Mallard

Tufted Duck

Wigeon 

Gadwall

Northern Shoveller

Teal

Pintail

Pochard

Goldeneye

Shelduck

Canada Goose

Brent Goose

Egyptian Goose

Greylag Goose

White Fronted Goose

Pink Footed Goose

Mute Swan

Bewick's Swan

Common Sandpiper

Curlew Sandpiper

Avocet

Common Redshank

Spotted Redshank

Greenshank

Lesser Yellowlegs

Oystercatcher

Turnstone

Dunlin

Knot 

Black Tailed Godwit

Whimbrel

Curlew

Ruff

Common Snipe

Ringed Plover

Golden Plover

Grey Plover

Lapwing

Kestrel

Merlin

Hobby

Peregrine

Sparrowhawk

Common Buzzard

Red Kite

Marsh Harrier

Hen Harrier

Osprey

*Red Tailed Hawk (second year running in High Halstow, likely an escapee/release but seems to be doing well)

Tawny Owl

Barn Owl

Long Eared Owl

Short Eared Owl

Total 146

Reptiles/Amphibians

Barred Grass Snake

European Adder

Viviparous Lizard

Slow Worm

Smooth Newt

Great Crested Newt

Common Frog

Marsh Frog

Common Toad

Total 9

Mammals

Rabbit

Brown Hare

Grey Squirrel

Least Weasel

Stoat

House Mouse

Field Mouse

Brown Rat

Common Vole

Common Shrew

Pygmy Shrew

Red Fox

Hedgehog

Common Pipistrelle Bat

Common Seal

Roe Deer

Total 16

And now to reset it all to zero and start again! Happy New Year!

Adventures in Surrey

Another week, another lockdown, which on the plus side means more time to focus on nature. Between work, volunteering and organising a house move I really haven't had a chance lately, and the blog has definitely fallen by the wayside!

Met up with a mate and all round wildlife guru, Ruby, down in Surrey for a catch up and a tour of a couple of reserves down that way. First up was Tice's Meadow, which always seems to turn something up if Twitter is anything to go by! 

First up was a huge bank of feeders. I wouldn't want to imagine the cost of keeping them filled, but the finches and tits seemed happy! It was nice to see a couple of Greenfinches, they seem to be getting less and less common these days, and all the dropped seed meant easy pickings for the rats running round the area. Although not everyone's favourite animal, seeing them in a natural setting certainly cast them in a better light, they certainly looked a lot prettier than the scabby overweight monsters you get in the towns!

The main viewpoint at Tice's was relatively quiet, all the usual suspects including Egyptian Geese, Coots and Tufted Ducks, but a female Roe Deer charging across the field definitely made up for it, sending the wildfowl scattering every which way, save for possibly the world's bravest Magpie!

Next up was Farlington Marshes down by Portsmouth. Quite possibly the windiest place on earth, this large grassland is flanked by Langstone Harbour and is dotted with waterways and pools. As you'd expect at this time of year, the ducks are really piling on, with plenty of Teal and Wigeon, along with a couple of Shovellers and Gadwall.

The waders were out in force today, with huge numbers of Knot, Dunlin and Grey Plover, supported by Lapwing, Ringed Plover, Avocet, Redshank and Curlew. Ruby also picked out 5 Snipe hidden in the reeds, which I never would've spotted in a million years!

It was also a good day for Passerines, with plenty of Stonechats and Meadow Pipits scurrying around. Surprisingly given the amount of prey, predators were very thin on the ground, with only a Buzzard and Kestrel spotted from the car. 

Last up was a quick stroll round Normandy on the lookout for owls. Plenty of abandoned barns and the surrounding woodland meant ideal habitat, but we had no luck, although we did hear a Little Owl. This species is starting to frustrate, it's the only one I need to complete the set for the year, but I can't seem to clap eyes on one for love nor money!

A great day with great company, and I will no doubt have a local update soon, until the next one!

A Quick Autumn Catch Up

A quick catch up, a lot going on at the moment so really haven't had a lot of time to get out and just enjoy nature. Figured I should post something as it's been like a month! Autumn has really started to go through the gears, and with it changes the face of my local wildlife.

The fields adjacent to my parent's house in Istead Rise have become overrun with Red Legged Partridges. These quirky, shy birds are a joy to watch, groups run round with heads aloft checking for danger, before the alarm is sounded and twenty individuals that you hadn't even noticed flutter off into the air. Getting close enough to get decent shots of these guys is a hell of a challenge, especially in such open terrain, perhaps I'll try really early one morning when I may have the element of surprise.

The Stonechats are well and truly taking over down at Swanscombe, and should soon be joined by a host of other species. Although present all year round, Winter sees an influx from elsewhere and they really seem to be one of the dominant and most readily spotted small birds (not including the obvious stuff like Robins and Tits) at a lot of my local areas.

As the trees start to lose their foliage, and once dense woodlands get a lot more barren I'm able to pick out a lot more of the birds flitting about. I was quite happy with this pretty Great Spotted Woodpecker, who happily sat right by me, it's just a shame it was such a miserable day and the photos came out so poorly!

This time of year always gives me false hope that I might just manage to catch one more snake before they settle away for the winter, and sure enough my efforts have been in vain so far. A recent visit to Riverside gave me zero reptiles for the first time this year, and whilst I'll no doubt try again before the temperatures really drop, it's probably time to accept that's it for the season and that they'll be back next spring, and that it's time to focus on the wintering bird life. It has been a great summer for finding them, and I think the Slow Worm pictured is gonna be my last record for the year.

Until the next one!

Passage Madness at Oare

Friday morning took me down to Oare Marshes for one final look round of the season. It threatened to rain all day, but the overcast morning eventually broke out into sunshine and I managed to bag a decent hatfull of species. You'll have to bare with some of the photos though, poor lighting on max zoom in a bridge camera does not make for the most artistic renditions, I've tried to sharpen some of the images up but they're not much more than record shots.

A lot of the usual suspects were around, along with some that I don't see every day. The waders were out in force, with Ringed and Golden Plover, Redshank, Black Tailed Godwit, Greenshank and Whimbrel all showing well. There were a fair few Dunlin scuttling about, joined in places by the odd Knot, and I counted six Ruff around the site. I also caught a couple of Curlew Sandpipers on the far side of the creek. I even got my first ever Common Snipe tentatively exploring one of the small streams.

The winter arrivals are starting to join in the fun, and with them comes a tonne of passage visitors stopping off on their way to further afield. A good number of Whinchat were buzzing around the scrub on the western edge of the reserve, these fairly nondescript passerines are easily overlooked but always a good spot at this time of year.

The undoubted highlight was a solitary Osprey patrolling the opposite side of the Swale (ease excuse the disgustingly bad photo 😂), whilst trying to avoid the mob of Avocets and Jackdaws constantly on its tail. Another lifer, I'd basically given up hope of ever chancing upon one around here, but this well and truly made my day! Soon he'll be off south before heading back to the UK next summer. 

I was also treated to a flyover from a juvenile Gannet. One of my favourite species, this is another that I never thought I'd get a nice view of outside of a breeding colony, so this was definitely a bonus! Just a shame it wasn't an adult, which are one of the most striking and impressive birds on UK shores.

It wouldn't be a nature day without a reptile hunt, and the numerous ponds and streams were littered with Marsh Frogs. Sure enough, I eventually found a Grass Snake stalking around the waterways, and for a nice change I sat back and watched it stalking its prey rather than attempt to handle it. It was a real pleasure watching it cruise around as nature intended, although he didn't manage to catch anything before disappearing into the reeds.

Until the next one!

St Neots, Cambridgeshire

As promised, a nice little change of scenery. Finally took the chance to go to see a mate who'd recently moved to St Neots in Cambridgeshire, and a chance to visit some new areas and see what wildlife was about.

First up was a trip to Grafham Water, a vast reservoir with several nice walks dotted around the woodland surround. The usual Blackcaps and Tits were abundant, and some of the scrub looked like it would be a key site in breeding season, and for over-wintering birds. 

I managed this Common Toad amongst the gravel but that was it for herpetofauna. The habitat looked ripe for Grass Snakes and Common Lizards but I had no joy finding any on this occasion

The reservoir itself was abundant in Tufted Ducks,  GC Grebes, various Gulls and Cormorants, in particular one jetty which was stocked full of these large water birds drying their wings and taking a breather between hunting trips. There were a few Pochards and Shovellers about, I can well imagine that over winter the wildfowl numbers are spectacular here.

Bird of the day was certainly this Red Kite, my first of the year. Once persecuted to near extinction in this country, it's awesome seeing them doing well in certain areas, and it surely can't be long before I see my first back in Kent. They were one of the targets I had in mind coming to this area, and are always great to see.

The evening brought a flyover Sparrowhawk and a Hobby chasing Swallows from the garden, and after a few drinks we took a nice stroll around the area and found two Hedgehogs, my first for absolutely ages!

The following day took us to Riverside County Park in St Neots, followed by a walk up the River Ouse to Paxton Pits reserve. Very reminiscent of the Thames in its upriver sections, this quaint waterway was littered with bird life and small boats, along with grand houses backing onto private jetties (lucky bastards!)

Paxton Pits itself consists of a series of pools dotted around a functional quarry just off the river, with walks and hides dotted around. There wasn't much about today save for the standard Coots and Herons, like Grafham Water I imagine this is a place to visit when the winter roosts arrive, or when the breeding season is in full swing. Still, an enjoyable walk in a gorgeous setting!

The return trip down the Ouse was the highlight of the day, we were treated to fly bys from two Kingfishers. I'm on a mission to get a perched photo of one of these guys, and try as we might we just couldn't find one, instead getting the cliche blue and orange flash as they zip by. Hopefully when winter comes their bright colours will make them a bit more obvious against the barer backgrounds.

A great trip with fantastic company and some excellent walks, until the next one!

The End of August

It's been a long time since I posted anything here, due to a mixture of being busy with work and not wanting to put too many samey posts out there. I haven't had the time to get out to any new sites, and didn't want to write about the same old stuff, from the same old places in the same old season!

So, that being said, here's a catch up from all my usual places 😂

My Thursday started early with a quick hours visit to Cliffe, with everything crossed that the recently spotted Osprey may still be around. They stop here from time to time during migration, but it's a bird I've never had a chance to see in the flesh.

Naturally, it was nowhere to be seen, and sure enough sightings started to circulate on Twitter of a bird seen near Southend. Due to the fairly close proximity, it wouldn't surprise me if it was the same individual, searching for another food source before continuing its journey.

It wasn't a completely wasted trip though, the Spoonbills were showing well all morning, and I caught a couple of Ruff hanging out around the pools. The Terns were out in force, with plenty of Commons and a few Blacks zipping around hunting. I got my first Wheatear of the year (another passage migrant to these parts), briefly seen on a fence post. There's also been a decent influx of Ringed Plover, and with the help of another birder, I also saw a couple of Curlew Sandpipers scuttling around the islands, which were a lifer for me!

The Long Tailed Tits are starting to become more obvious too. Although present all year, they are seemingly a lot more active over autumn/winter as they hurry to find food. Relatively bold, they're one of my all time favourites, and you can't help but love these dumpy little cuties. Hopefully I'll get some more (and better) photos as the season draws on.

After the whistle stop tour of Cliffe, it was over to Northward Hill for the RSPB work party. The weather was against me, but I got a few half decent snaps of the usual reptiles whilst cracking on brush-cutting. There were a couple of Buzzards and Kestrels knocking about, but no sign today of the Red Tailed Hawk.

The Ringers were also out with their nets, and I can't ever resist a quick chat with them and the chance to get some really close up looks at some of our smaller species. Blackcaps and Blue Tits aplenty, with a couple of Chiffchaffs made up the majority. Although they may look like they're in trouble, these nets (Coupled with quick, safe, and firm handling) provide us with a fantastic means to collect data to monitor populations and learn more about these dainty passerines.

Friday morning brought a quick run to Gillingham before the forecast afternoon downpour.

I've come across a nice pool at the Berengrave Reserve, an old chalk mine, that looks like it could do well for a number of species. Sure enough, a couple of Grey Wagtails dashed through, and a Common Sandpiper put in a couple of quick flyovers. There seem to be a nice amount of fish present, which makes me think I'll definitely be back in the hope for the elusive Kingfisher.

Whilst sat patiently watching, a few tits came in to check out what I was up to, including this curious Long Tailed, along with a few Blues and Greats, before they were flushed out by an overhead Sparrowhawk.

As usual, Gillingham came up trumps for Adders, although curiously none of my usual girls were about. Possibly hidden away after the inclement weather, but I'm sure they'll be back soon. I did find a couple of nice sized specimens, who were all pretty relaxed, one even letting me handle her! Not gonna lie, it was ridiculously hard to get a photo when I was concentrating so much on reading her body language and making sure she felt comfortable!

Although by no means the best photo, I also found this near melanistic yearling. Raised levels of melanin in their genome gives them a darker colouration, and is more common the further north you go, aiding them to absorb heat far quicker than those normally coloured, giving them a natural advantage when conditions aren't ideal.

I promise the next few posts will bring about a change of scenery, I have trips in September planned for near Cambridge and then Weymouth, with plenty of places to visit and different animals to report on! After that, it will be time to welcome the winter arrivals around North Kent, we should see huge numbers of wildfowl, waders, birds of prey and maybe a few rarities, which kinda makes up for the lack of reptiles!

All in all, I think summer has been pretty kind to me, and now it's time to look forward to what's next. As always, until the next time!

Isle of Grain Double Bill

I swore to myself I'd spend at least one of my days off this week relaxing on the sofa, but there was no chance of that ever actually happening. Sure enough, one of my best mates (who I haven't actually seen since before lockdown) suggested a morning stroll, and a Wednesday visit to Cliffe Pools it was.

There have been a lot of sightings of some interesting species here doing the rounds on Twitter lately, so I set off with a few targets in mind, namely Little Ringed Plover, Garganey, Sand Martin and Cattle Egret.

Naturally it was just my luck that literally nothing was on show today, the low tide didn't help, as a lot of birds can be found feeding much further put onto the Thames rather than pushed onto the pools themselves. The best I managed was this group of roosting Avocets, Shelduck and Godwit, and there were a few brief flyovers from various Buzzards and Marsh Harriers. I'm really struggling for any luck bird-wise at this site at the moment, I think I'm gonna have to really plan a visit early morning or evening when the tide is on my side.

The undoubted highlight was a group of ten or so Common Seals across the river enjoying the sunshine on the Essex side (excuse the very distant photo), and I also saw a few lizards scurrying around the scrub on the path edges.

This Thursday also finally marked the long awaited return to volunteering up at Northward Hill. I've been itching to get back to work with the RSPB, and it was great to see everyone again, albeit in much different circumstances and under strict Covid procedures. 

The day was spent clearing pathways in the woodland after some of the scrub was trimmed back, with the excess being used to create habitat piles for mammals, reptiles and inverts. We did make the mistake of inadvertently breaking into a Honey Bee nest, which certainly annoyed them! It was cool to see their honeycombs in the process of being built, but we hastily covered them up and gave them a wide berth until they settled down!

It proved a challenge getting photos of some of the wildlife on show, I didn't want to be carrying my camera when I was whacking about with tools in the undergrowth, however I did get some shots of the resident Red Tailed Hawk. Likely an escape from a nearby falconer, this American raptor first appeared last year but has survived so far! Very closely related to our Common Buzzard, but distinguishable by its head shape and red tinged tail (although less obvious from the angle photographed). Both species are highly variable and easily confused, but when you see them in the flesh side by side it's fairly clear who the odd one out is!

Once the work party had finished, the missus met me for a quick stroll around before it was home to tea. Saw a couple of Slow Worms and in general a nice wind down after a busy day! I keep meaning to do a proper evening walk here, there are definitely at least three species of Owl on site, along with Badgers, that I'm eager to get some snaps of, but that's one for another day.

I also have to give a shout out to this gorgeous new born Viviparous Lizard found at Swanscombe earlier in the week. He was so unbelievably small and delicate, it's fantastic to see the first of this year's generation of local reptiles, hopefully there'll be a few more to come before Autumn creeps up on us and most head off to brumate.

It's also that time of year when different moths start flying. I'm lucky enough to have a decent population of Gypsy Moths locally, these were presumed extinct in the UK around 100 years back but have clung on in certain areas around London. Around August I can usually see several fluttering around the garden, and in this case the kitchen! They have a reputation for damaging plant life, so aren't welcome amongst gardeners, but I for one am a fan of this pretty medium sized species.

I think it's fair to say I'm absolutely knackered, until next time!